Stay in the loop

The Spadina bus is back — and so too are the Shuffle Demons, whose eponymous 1986 cult hit has lived on in the hearts of transit geeks and Torontophiles everywhere. Ostensibly just a photo op to draw attention to the fact that track and passenger platform replacement work on the 510 Spadina streetcar route has resulted in the return of bus transit to the street, yesterday's media event serves as a reminder that this is a kinder TTC than we once knew.

Remember when the Commission sent John Martz a cease and desist order over his A Warmer Soupy Butt Anagram Map? During that period, an event like this one likely wouldn't have crossed the minds of TTC brass. I've argued before that I'd like to see the TTC embrace its own legacy and place within the city's history, and it seems like it might be getting the idea (even the last ad campaign played this up).

As for the Shuffle Demons, they were in fine form. Not everyone who boarded the old fishbowl bus — the selection of which was a nice touch — knew who they were or recognized songs from their new album Clusterfunk, but they certainly made a show of it. At one point, passengers were even dancing as the bus chugged down Spadina.